Muezzin noise level raised to unbearable: 'Police do nothing'

Sleepless month of Ramadan: 'You can sit at home, turn on air conditioner, close windows and shutters, and the noise will still come in.'

Mordechai Sones, 26/06/17 18:37

Aural coersion

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Lod city council member Amichai Langfeld told Arutz Sheva that all attempts to reach agreements with the Arab sector for the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr have failed, and this year Lod residents also suffer the wailing of the muezzin.

"Throughout the year, we suffer from the muezzin calls, the source of which is located in the center of the city and is a nuisance for the entire population. But if it is a nuisance throughout the year, then in Ramadan and Id al-Fitr, the volume is increased; you can sit at home, turn on an air conditioner and close windows and shutters, and the noise will still come in."

Muslims gratuitously increase muezzin loudspeaker volume: "This week for their holiday, the prayers lasted for two hours from five to seven in the morning, they prayed in the market square of the Old City and installed powerful loudspeakers, but at the same time the loudspeakers in the mosques continued to blare with tremendous force even though the mosques were empty."

Langfeld claims that all attempts at dialogue have failed. "I have friends in the sector and everyone told me that there is no way to lower it, whoever dares to lower it endangers his life; the imams receive money from the Islamic movement, and they give the orders," says Langfeld, "Also the police don't want to start up with the and they tell me that as long as there is no muezzin law, there's nothing to do."

According to him, if a Jew came with speakers to the market square at five in the morning they would arrest him, "and here the police do nothing. I was told that the police summoned people for interrogation, but it will probably be closed due to a lack of public interest."

The councilmember stresses that he has no problem with Muslim prayer. "We have good relations with the sector, but if someone wants to pray, let him pray; why should an entire city suffer?"

Even after Ramadan, Lod residents continue to suffer."Every Friday we have sermons and prayers for nearly two hours. We tried to pressure them and if they agree to stop the sermons and prayers over loudspeakers on Fridays, we will also try to accommodate them."